1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector to be placed on a surface of a circuit board by a conventional, vacuum-suction tool, and particularly to a surface mount electrical connector with a releasable pick-up device.
2. Description of Related Art
In order to answer for the requirement of automatic operation, the use of vacuum-suction tools to pick up and place electrical connectors or other electrical articles on circuit boards is well known in the art. The related art, referring to U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,977, discloses a conventional plug connector having a cap member releasably attached thereto for carrying to a circuit board by a vacuum-suction tool so as to implement soldering procedure. The conventional plug connector has an elongate mating cavity opening to a mating face and a mating rib projecting, centrally of the mating cavity, from a base wall of the connector. The mating rib defines a plurality of passageways in opposite sides thereof for receiving corresponding conductive contacts, wherein top ends of the contacts are exposed to the mating cavity. The cap member forms two legs depending from a lower surface thereof and defining a receiving space therebetween to engage with the mating rib. However, when the cap member is press-fitted into or is pulled out from the mating cavity of the connector, the conductive contacts would scratch inner surfaces of the legs of the cap member.
Hence, it is desirable to provide an electrical connector with an improved pick-up device to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector with an improved releasable pick-up device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector with a releasable pick-up device to precisely position the electrical connector on a circuit board.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, an electrical connector with a releasable pick-up device for carrying to a circuit board by a vacuum-suction tool comprises an insulating housing having an elongated base wall and side walls extending from the base wall with a mating cavity defined therebetween. A mating rib projects from the base wall and extends along a lengthwise direction. A plurality of passageways are defined in opposite sides of the mating rib for receiving a plurality of conductive pins. The releasable pick-up device includes a rectangular plate which has a flat upper surface for being suctioned by the vacuum-suction tool and an opposite lower surface, and a pair of retaining portions extending from opposite transverse sides of the plate. Each retaining portion forms a pair of legs each forming a retaining foot at a free end thereof. The retaining feet of the same pair of legs protrude oppositely to each other. The rectangular plate also defines a longitudinal exposed depressed area in the lower surface thereof, and forms an inclined first face between the depressed area and the lower surface. The plate further defines an inclined second face on a longitudinal side thereof opposite to the first face. The first face and the second face respectively engage with a topside of a longitudinal side wall of the connector and a topside of a shielding plate covering an opposite longitudinal side wall to ensure a precise positioning of the connector.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.